Chained DP34s and power solutions

[ZandarKoad]

What is the 'best' way to provide power to a DP34 switch? The scenario in question is that of three DP34's chained together. The first and second DP34s in the chain must both have power for the third to work. But I'd hate to take up a whole port on the first two DP34s just to give power... so I'm looking for a solution that will give power to the DP34 constantly (with or without a reciever) while still allowing a reciever to use that same port for it's sat feed.

1) Does a DP adaptor work to give power without needing (but yet allowing) a DP reciever?

2) Would a power inserter that comes with a DP44 work for giving power without needing (but yet allowing) a reciever?

3) Is there some other (cheap) voltage supply device that I can purchase that would provide the proper power without needing (but yet allowing) a reciever?

 

[boba]

The cheapest solution is put a satellite receiver on port 1 of each DP34 switch. Unless you actually unplug the receiver it is outputting voltage even in the standby position.

 

[RandallA]

A cheap DP receiver (301, 311) like Bob said should do the trick. I know you don't want to use a port but I don't know of any other way.

 

[ZandarKoad]

I Believe!

I MUST believe there is another way. Cmon, there has to be someone in the world who's done MDU (Multi Dwelling Unit) installs who has figured something out...

 

[RandallA]

Search for posts by AntAltMike. He had some kind of strange setup at a school where he was using 18 volts power inserters for the LNBs but can't remember how he powered the DP34s.

Here is one of his posts at Dbsforums:

http://www.dbsforums.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=394612&postcount=14

 

[ats7627]

In Mike's scenario, the DP34 switches were not cascaded, so he didn't need to worry about power to the switch. All my head-in and multi-story installs are done like this. That way, if the receiver connected to port 1 of a DP34 dies, it will not affect any of the other switches.

 

[Pepper]

The DPP44 is the one that gets power from port 1. As far as I know a DP receiver on *any* port of a DP34 will power it.

 

[ZandarKoad]

Right, it sounds like the way to go: power each LNB indivudually so that the switches don't need to supply the power. Then seperate the sat feeds using high frequency splitters and feed the DP34s off the splitters. (Theoretical at this point - haven't actually done it yet.)

This works great with one central junction location where all the feeds are coming... but in my situation, I've got THREE main junction boxes: one for each story of a 3 story complex. I've got three cables coming off the roof to the first box (3rd story). Then I've got 3 going from there to the 2nd story box. And three more from the 2nd to the 1st story box. Which is fine and good for a cascade setup... but...

I'll have to run (at least another set of) three more cables from the 3rd story to the 1st story to get the non-cascade setup to work... Unless I'm going to split the sat feeds more than once (eg, I could put high frequency splitters in each box, but that means that the 1st story box will have been split at least twice before it gets to the DP34 switch(s)). I'm fine with one splitter before the DP34, but 2? And if they split 4 or more ways, the decibel loss is greater... Maybe I'm worried about nothing.

I've only got one customer so far (besides myself), and I'm not really advertising that Dish is available to everyone yet, because I'd like to have the ability to get at least 2 DP34s in each junction box (2 DP34s per floor). There are about 50 units total across 3 floors... A potential for 15 customers per floor. Which is very unlikely, but I'd like to at least support 8 per floor (two DP34s per box). And yes, I know that I could use DP44s, and I will, whenever a customer requests a dual tuner. But these are small 1 bedroom apartments for the most part.

 

[PIMP_2]

Just search for 18v DC power packs with female f-connector. I use these all the time for power. These are alot more reliable than receivers. They use these power packs with SVI UHF amplifiers.

http://www.quintechelectronics.com/dcp2150-dc-inserter.php

 

[rglore]

You can use the new DPP33 for dual tuners at half the cost of the 44.

 

[webbydude]

You can use the new DPP33 for dual tuners at half the cost of the 44.

If/when those things *ever* show up.

Not to mention you can't cascade a DPP33.

 

[rglore]

Oops, forgot about the lack of cascade ports. Another option is to use dual lnbs with or without DP splitters to feed banks of switches.